It’s no surprise that Lynn Ann Casey ’90 decided to go into business for herself after many years of working with a global consulting firm. The New Jersey native has a natural entrepreneurial spirit and a history of shaking up the status quo, so when she wanted to refocus her career, she already knew where she would go. She is now CEO and owner of Arc Aspicio, a management consulting and information technology company that provides strategic business solutions focused on homeland security and intelligence.

Casey decided to create Arc Aspicio seven years ago because of her passion and interest in homeland security. She and her colleagues often consult for the government on matters related to transportation security, border enforcement, immigration, emergency management, and national protection. With expertise on a wide range of fields, days are understandably hectic, but Casey notes that she’s one of those fortunate people who love her job.

Deciding to start a business was not an easy decision for Casey, but she was determined to succeed in building a company that would expand on her own values. “It was exciting to form the company,” she recalled. “I was very trepidacious because it was a big risk. But I was excited and so passionate about homeland security and I knew it would carry me through.”

Since Casey formed Arc Aspicio, which can be translated to “architecting a vision for the future” in Latin, it has won many awards from organizations such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for being one of the best small businesses. Typical projects that she and her colleagues work on include partnering with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help educate the public on how to be prepared for any types of disaster by forming family plans. They have also done extensive work on immigration enforcement and figuring out methods to help enforce existing immigration laws.

Casey’s hands-on, entrepreneurial spirit was already present when she was at Fairfield University. She worked on the student newspaper, The Mirror, for three years and while she loved the writing and editing aspects of the job, the English major discovered that she also loved managing the day-to-day aspects that kept The Mirror going. “The paper was like a stand-alone company that had human resource issues, customers, and advertisers,” she explained. “So it was like running a business.”

Prior to her editorship, working on the paper was an extra-curricular activity, but that changed when Casey assumed a leadership position. “We were learning so intensively and it was such practical knowledge that I proposed that those in a leadership position should earn course credit for their work.” She followed up with a proposal to the Dean, which was approved. Since then, the leaders of The Mirror earn credit for their work, under the supervision of a faculty advisor, and Casey is proud that something she did had a lasting impact at Fairfield.

Her legacy to The Mirror is just one way that Casey’s dedication to Fairfield endures. Casey engaged in a Briefcase Breakfast for the Washington, D.C. ALumni Chapter entitled “Making Ethical Decisions in Challenging Times — Insights from a CEO.” This took place on May 15, 2012. The audience included a range of alumni and parents representing various years and all with a shared interest in the topic. The impact of Casey’s talk was so successful that guests asked that a series of similar discussion be arranged during 2013. She spoke about the difficult ethical decisions CEOs have to make during challenging business times. “Ethics has become a hot topic,” she explained. “And we work with the federal government where thousands of rules have to be followed at all times.”

Going forward, Casey and her colleagues will continue to grow Arc Aspicio with the goal of becoming the best homeland security consulting firm in the U.S. While Casey noted that consulting is a challenging career choice, she reported that she wouldn’t want to be doing anything else. “It’s been a roller coaster, but a great experience,” she said.